Ecology

The Ecology Group was created in 1995 and it currently includes a team of researchers in a variety of ecological fields. Since its beginning, the aim of this group was focused on experimentally studying the structure and function of Southwestern Atlantic estuarine ecosystems. Initially, most studies focused on predation, competition, ecosystem engineering, herbivory and sediment dynamics at a small-scale. During the last years, research projects became more interdisciplinary, including the study of processes that regulate food webs, nutrient dynamics in land-water or water-water interfaces, at variable spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, more than 30 undergraduate, 27 graduate and 24 post-doc students did their thesis or research activities in our group. Since its very beginning, our group was funded by national (CONICET, ANPCyT, UNMdP), private (Fundación Antorchas) and international organisms (IAI, International Foundation for Science, National Geographic Society, PNUD/GEF/Patagonia, European Union). All research projects are designed to produce valuable information to be published in high quality scientific journals. The group is also tightly related to the undergraduate course “General Ecology”, which is mandatory to obtain the undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the National University of Mar del Plata, and where group members share their knowledge and experience with students.

Relationship between physical and environmental gradients with α- and β-diversity of arthropods and micro-mammals, and their ecological roles.

Differences in life histories parameters of bivalves against climate variations and / or climate change (ENSO, acidification, deoxygenation, temperature increase); their response to different trophic interactions (parasitism, predation) and its sclerocronology as a tool for the identification of macro-scale climatie variability.

Spatial variability and factors that regulate marine food webs: effects of detritus supply on estuarine environments, and effects associated with marine fronts and fisheries.
Behavior of intertidal organisms and their role in ecological processes

Factors that regulate species assembly in coastal ecosystems and their associated functions. Relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes.